After booking a last minute dot com holiday this month, I was in serious need of a new holiday wardrobe. The last time I was away to the sun was in 2013 and lets just say my 2013 body compared to my present day one, are like two completely different people!! Given that it’s September and most of the hughstreet stores are gearing up for the winter season, my first port of call for holiday gear was online. I did a proper haul of these items on my InstaStories but this holiday haul details all the links you need to shop if you find yourself in the same position as me – totally ready for the break away but with zero clothing to bring!
VaVaVoom.ie
This was my first time ordering from the Irish owned site VaVaVoom so I didn’t really know what to expect. I don’t remember ever hearing terribly bad reviews so I just picked up two items. The first dress I had spotted on Instagram and it gave all the holiday vibes. Unfortunately the colours don’t pop as much in person so I think this one may be going back.. What do you guys think? Should I keep or return?
Gabs Multi Print Wrap Tunic – €31.99 – Shop Here
The second item from VaVaVoom.ie was this polka dot shirt. Even better again, it was on sale!! I just thought that this would be really cute tied in a knot at the front with shorts, or tucked into a mini skirt at night time. I’ll definitely get tonnes of wear out of this shirt afterwards too, with black jeans and boots, it will be handy for winter too.
Yoko Black Polka Dot Shirt – Was €31.99, now €18 – Shop Here
Missguided.com
I only bought one item from Missguided in the end, which is strange as I usually find lots of nice bits on that site. I find their sizing is great – usually either true to fit, or a little generous, so I don’t think I’ve ever had to return anything to them. For holidays I chose this knot front playsuit. I love the print and colour combination which makes it look really rich. It has a little sleeve which ye all know by now, I love!! It’s a playsuit but I liked that the shorts looked flowy, as opposed to being really fitted. I think on holidays, in the heat, it’s important to be comfortable so this looked to be really light, breathable material and will be ideal for one of the nights out. I’m going to team it with wedges and minimal accessories as the print is enough of a statement for me.
Satin Tie Front Kimono Sleeve Playsuit – €38.00 – Shop Here
PrettyLittleThing.com
The bulk of my online order came from PrettyLittleThing and I’m really confident buying on this site. In my experience I’ve always gotten my orders in reasonable time and it’s exactly what I expect when it arrives. The pictures on the site are a really good representation of what the products look like in reality and the prices are just brilliant too. The first item I got was this pleated dress. I thought would be a really cute one to bring away and could be worn day or night time. With sandals and a crossbody bag during the day or glammed up with heels for the night time. The colour is a little bit more muted in reality and it is such heavy material but it’s fully lined and is a great shape on me, having hips and thighs!
Floral Frill Detail Pleated Dress – €50 – Shop Here
Next up, I got this Jersey Maxi Skirt. This will come in really handy as a cover up on the beach as it has 2 slits right up either side. It’s a weighty jersey material so great quality and would even double up as a maxi skirt for the evening if I wanted to. I just love items like that, that have dual purpose and you can get more wears out of. This skirt comes in a variety of colours too but when I was shopping, I only spotted the black. Now that I know the quality is so good, I’d be tempted to buy more. It is very long though, I’m 5’7” and it’s trailing on me in flat shoes so just bare that in mind.
Double Split Maxi Skirt – €20.25 – Shop Here
Holiday Swimwear
Finally then, on to bikinis. Now I definitely don’t have a bikini body, like I mentioned, this holiday was a last minute decision and I certainly don’t have time to dedicate to no gym, nor would I have the interest. So at this stage I’m just looking forward to a break and could care less about what I look like in a bikini!! So I just bought two different ones to have ones that fit comfortably – the aforementioned 2013 holiday swimwear did NOT make the cut here 😂😂
Both bikinis are from PrettyLittleThing; this red one is part of a set and I just loved the colour. It has a high rise briefs and I really liked the shape of the top as well. This one fits really well and I’m as comfortable as I’m going to be in it. It also comes in white and was just €27.
Red Plunge High Rise Bikini Set – €27 – Shop Here
This next one is just so fab, I couldn’t help but purchase. It’s a three toned bikini – cream, beige and leopard print so really on trend at the moment with the animal print. This style of swimwear is totally different for me but I said I’d give it a go anyway! The fit of this one isn’t as generous as the red bikini but it fits just fine. I could even turn the top upside down for a strapless effect – no tan lines please! Again, the briefs are high rise, but not as high as the red bikini. The top and briefs are sold separately so that’s worth noting if you are buying them.
Nude & Leopard Three Toned Bikini Top – €22 – Shop Here
Image: prettylittlething.com
Nude & Leopard Three Toned Bikini Briefs – €18 – Shop Here
Image: prettylittlething.com
So there we have it…
My last minute holiday haul. I have to say I was really lucky with everything that I got and online shopping really saved my ass this time around. The best of the summer stock in stores is long gone and I honestly don’t have the time to go traipsing the shops in my new job. It was so handy to just pop online one evening and plan outfits across different sites at once. Everything was delivered within a couple of days and I had a fair idea of what sizes to buy after previous experiences on Missguided and PLT. What are your go-to online stores guys, I would love to know in the comments below. We are off to Portugal next Friday and I’m SO looking forward to the break after a hectic summer! Make sure you’re following my Instagram where I’ll update as much as I feel.
Love the pleated floral dress and the leopard bikini!